The Chicago Cubs have found a prized jewel in the acquisition of young slugger Kris Bryant. The Cubs selected him with the second pick in the 2013 draft, and he has already made his impact in the major leagues this season. The mostly third baseman has been a terror for opposing pitchers at the plate, with having both power and discipline, but may be more of a liability for now in the field at the hot corner with his less than stellar defense.
The Chicago Cubs have revamped their team this year and are thrusting Bryant into the spotlight, with him leading the team into the postseason. As all of us who have seen Back to the Future II know, 2015 is supposed to be the year the Cubs break the curse. Bryant is the kind of rookie that seems able to handle the pressure of becoming a leader and making such a prediction correct.
Kris was recently one hit shy of hitting for the cycle against another highly-hyped prospect for the New York Mets, Noah Syndergaard. The Chicago Tribune has Bryant's sentiments about going 3-4 on the night and just how understanding he is of how rare those performances actually are:
"I knew I wasn't getting that next at-bat. Hopefully one time in my career I can get that. The triple is the hardest part, and I got that."
Away from the plate has been a different story so far in the rookie's transition to the big leagues. He is near the bottom, statistically, of most defensive rankings for his league, but new Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon tells CSNChicago.com that he thinks that will turn around fast:
"His feet are getting better. His stroke's getting better. His understanding of the whole thing's getting better. It's a one-handed game. He's catching the ball one-handed, which I like. I'm constantly seeing improvement."
The Cubs don't have much time if they want to cash in on the Back to the Future prophecy.
Do you think Bryant is going to be the catalyst to bring the Cubbies to the World Series title? Tell us what you think.
